- 5 projects were selected from 34 submissions

- Final lineup will be pitched at JEONJU Next Edition 2020 during JEONJU Project Market

The JEONJU International Film Festival (JEONJU IFF, Festival Director LEE Joondong) has selected final projects for the 12th JEONJU Next Edition of JEONJU Project Market.

Since JEONJU Project Market was launched to support filmmakers with independent films, it has carried out JEONJU Cinema Fund supporting the development of Korean films and JEONJU Next Edition introducing promising international projects. From December 23, 2019 to January 31, 2020, JEONJU Next Edition received 34 projects from 28 countries, including Latin America, Asia and Europe, up 30.7% from last year’s entries.

The Selection Committee including Festival Director LEE Joondong said, “This year’s submission has projects that experiment the boundaries of conventional films and projects that explore the identity such as women, migrants or LGBTQs,” and “especially, it drew attention that there are some hybrid documentary films which seep into various domains of genre as if to intend JEONJU IFF’s slogan, ‘Cinema, Liberated and Expressed.”

“The Selection Committee has chosen five projects based on artistic originality, production ability of directors and producers, schedule and budget.” This year’s lineup for JEONJU Next Edition includes: Lois Patino’s Samsara, Seige Ledesma’s Cat Island, Alan Segal’s Three detectives: paper, clay, or stone, Eric Baudelaire’s A Flower In the Mouth and Elsa Kremser and Levin Peter’s Dreaming Dogs and Barking Men.” the official said.

These five projects will be unveiled to film industry professionals from national and international during the 12th JEONJU Project Market. One of them will be selected for the JEONJU Cinema Project 2021 and given about KRW 100 million (approx.. USD 80,000) for its production.

The 12th JEONJU Project Market will be held for four days from May 30 (Sat.) to June 2 (Tues.), 2020, during the 21st JEONJU IFF for ten days from May 28 (Thur.) to June 6 (Sat.) at Jeonju Film Street.

Commentary on the Finalists for JEONJU Next Edition

JEONJU Next Edition is a pitching program to select international film projects for JEONJU Cinema Project, financed by JEONJU International Film Festival (JEONJU IFF). JEONJU Next Edition received 34 projects from 28 countries, including Latin America, Asia and Europe, up 30.7% from last year’s entries. More filmmakers from more countries have involved in this year’s edition and JEONJU IFF is proud of increasing worldwide attention. We would like to thank all the participants.

This year’s submission has projects that experiment the boundaries of conventional films and projects that explore the identity such as women, migrants or LGBTQs. Especially, it drew attention that there are some hybrid documentary films which seep into various domains of genre as if to intend JEONJU IFF’s slogan, ‘Cinema, Liberated and Expressed.’ The Selection Committee has chosen five projects based on artistic originality of design, production ability of directors and producers, schedule and budget.

Lois Patino’s Samsara (Spain)

Siege Ledesma’s Cat Island (Philippines, Japan)

Alan Segal’s Three detectives: paper, clay, or stone (Argentina)

Eric Baudelaire’s A Flower In the Mouth (France)

Elsa Kremser, Levin Peter’s Dreaming Dogs and Barking Men (Austria, Russia)

(by Korean alphabetical order of directors’ name)

Lois Partino’s Samsara and Eric Baudelaire’s A Flower In the Mouth gave a strong trust that the directors have their own styles demonstrated though previous works. Seige Ledesma’s Cat Island is gentle but powerful, as well as delicate and warm. It is appealing that the director sincerely hopes this film would encourage our dark world. Alan Segal’s Three detectives: paper, clay, or stone earned attention for its originality and innovation to go forward experiments on image languages. Elsa Kremser and Levin Peter’s Dreaming Dogs and Barking Men has great tenacity of filmmakers who have produced documentaries about the power of time. It has enough possibility to be developed to ask philosophical questions beyond its subject.

These five projects will be unveiled to people of the film industry from national and international at JEONJU Next Edition during JEONJU Project Market. It was great time to imagine how they are going to be made through JEONJU Next Edition, an arena to preview filmmakers’ upcoming works. JEONJU IFF would like to give a big thank you to all the filmmakers for their enthusiasm and application for JEONJU Next Edition.

JEONJU Cinema Project

Launched to support independent filmmakers six year ago, JEONJU Cinema Project has invested and produced 21 art and independent films at home and abroad. It is known as representative program of JEONJU IFF. It consists of two parts: JEONJU Cinema Fund supporting the planning and development of Korean films and JEONJU Next Edition introducing promising international projects.